Drawer interlocking device for cabinets

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to the combination of units having superposed slidable drawers, such as cabinets or desks, and having structural means providing a self-locking and unlocking mechanism actuable by the withdrawal of a drawer to lock the remaining drawers against withdrawing movements while the first drawer is withdrawn; to thereby prevent a tipping of the cabinet normally caused by the weight of several drawers being withdrawn at one time.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,719,770 10/1955 Roberts........................

[72] Inventor Daniel A. l-launost Chicago, [11. 41,491

Appl. No. [22] Filed 312/221 1,193,955 8/1916 Watson et al. 312/2173,404,929 10/1968 Wright et a1. 312/216 Primary Examiner-Casmir A.Nunbcrg Anomeys-John F. Brezina and John Charles Brezina May 28, 1970[45] Patented Nov. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee Midwest Folding Products Mfg.Corporation Chicago, Ill.

ABSTRACT: This invention is directed to the combination of units havingsuperposed slidable drawers, such as cabinets or desks, and havingstructural means providing a self-locking and unlocking mechanismactuable by the withdrawal of a drawer to lock the remaining drawersagainst withdrawing movements while the first drawer is withdrawn; tothereby prevent a tipping of the cabinet normally caused by the weightof several drawers being withdrawn at one time,

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[51] Int. [50] Field of PATENTED V 23 3.622.216

sum 1 BF 2 Inventor Don iel A. Haunosi 26 y AT rney PATENTEDN 2 i 3 6222 l 6 SHEET 2 [IF 2 FIG lnvenfor Donlel A. Hounosi DRAWER INTERLOCKINGDEVICE FOR CABINETS This invention is directed to novel releasablelocking the weight of two or more open drawers.

b. To provide an economically manufacturable drawer locking mechanism incombination with a cabinet or drawer containing unit which includes aslidable lug-bearing locking bar and cam means which will be moved onwithdrawal of one are locked, to permit drawers ofthe unit.

c. To provide novel mechanism including key-lockable means, lock barsand cam means which provide for selectively locking all drawers inclosed position.

Other and further important objects of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description and appended claims.

As Shown on the Drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a filing cabinet having slidabledrawers, and with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a cross secton taken on a vertical plane indicated by line 2-2of FIG. I and showing certain parts in cross section and parts partiallybroken away.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section, with parts broken away taken online 4-4 of FIG. 3 and showing one of the locking devices in lockingposition.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section of the vertical slidable bar and afragment of the adjacent cabinet wall, as indicated by line 5-5 ofFIG.3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on a vertical plane indicated byline 22 of FIG. I and showing the upper drawer in partially openposition, and with parts broken away.

FIG. 7a is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the upper portionof the slidable bar and showing the locking link in normally openposition.

FIG. 7b is another enlarged fragmentary elevation of the upper portionof the slidable locking bar with an end portion of the locking link inlocking position.

On the Drawings:

Numeral I0 generally designates a cabinet having connected sidewalls, aconnected top and a bottom frame and wall 14, and a rectangular frontframe or face II and a back or rear wall 15, Said cabinet has aplurality of drawers I2 slidably side suspension bars 13, one of whichis illustrated in FIG. I. said drawers being superposed and spaced apartin the usual manner. Said walls, top, front frame and bottom arepreferably connected by welding.

As shown in FIG. 2

An inner metal panel or wall 16 having an upper and a lower angularlybent ends 17 and 18 has its inwardly extending flanged ends or ribs 170and 180 secured by rivets I9 to the rear wall so that said inner panelI6 is spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rear wall 15.

Said inner panel 16 has formed therein in vertically spaced apartposition openings or slots 20, two thereof being shown in drawers 12 bymeans of rivets 23 rearwardly and drawer.

so that such brackets extend perpendicularly to the rear end wall of thesaid bracket as illustrat A vertical metal locking bar 26 having atleast two longitumounted for limited verslots 29 formed in the innerpanel 16, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. Mounted loosely on each ofthe bolts 28 are washers 29a as shown.

Said bar 26 is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 as of substantially V-shapedcross section.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the upper end of the slidable bar 26 isinwardly offset and has formed therein a T" shaped slot 32 as shown inFIGS. 70 and 7b.

Securely mounted in an aperture formed in the upper portion of the frontframe II of the cabinet is a cylinder lock 30 which contains a rotatablecylinder whose inner end is connected by a pin or rivet to a metal leveror link 31, the inner end of said link 31 being reduced and positionedloosely in an aperture in inner panel 17 and extending through the "Tslot of the slidable bar 26.

When the lock cylinder is rotated to locking position, the link 31 is inthe locking position shown in FIG. 7b to prevent upward opening movementof slidable bar 26 to thereby hold the locking brackets in downwarddrawer locking position.

When the link 31 is rotated about one-fourth of a turn to the verticalposition shown in FIG. 7a, the locking bar 26 will be moved upwardly torelease the locking brackets of the drawers position by the frictionaland slidable engagement of the spring washers 29a.

Drawer closing movement of the open drawer will cause the beveled edgeof the lug 24 of its hook to engage the locking bar to move downward sothat thereupon all the drawers are unlocked.

concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereofexcept as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In a cabinet or the like having superposed slidable drawers;

in claim 2 and having a manually cylinder mounted in said cabinet, andhaving a rotatable metal link connected to said lock, and extending intoand engaging the upper portion of said slidable locking bar to providefor manually selectively rotating said lock cylinder to raise saidlocking bar into drawer unlocking position and to permit descent of saidbar into drawer locking position.

a rearwardly projecting angular bracket mounted on the inner end of eachof said drawers, each of said brackets having a depending projecting lugand having a downwardly opening recess and having an upwardly extendingbeveled shoulder thereon;

'a vertical slidable locking bar having a plurality of vertically spacedslots therein;

said shoulders of said brackets being adapted to engage the edge portionof said bar at said slots said bar in upper unlocking position; saidbrackets normally extending into said slots respectively; said dependinglugs being adapted to engage said bar upon descent thereof to lock theclosed drawers against withdrawal, the partial withdrawal of one of saiddrawers being adapted to raise and then drop said locking bar to therebyengage and lock the brackets of the remaining drawers against nonnalwithdrawal thereof;

the closing movement of a withdrawn drawer being adapted to cause theshoulder of its inner bracket to raise said locking bar and then tocause said bar to drop to lock the drawer into locked position.

2. A cabinet having superposed slidable drawers as recited operablerotatable lock 3. In combination with a drawer-containing cabinet or thelike having a back wall;

an inner vertical wall mounted in said cabinet inward of said back walland having vertically spaced slots therein;

a vertical slidable locking bar slidable mounted adjacent said innerwall and having a plurality of vertically spaced apart slots therein;

a plurality of drawers slidably mounted above each other in saidcabinet;

a lug-bearing locking bracket having thereon an upwardly extending lugand a downwardly extending hook and mounted on the inner wall of each ofsaid drawers;

said upwardly extending lug having an integral upwardly ex tendingbeveled cam face. said cam-faced lug being adapted to move into saidslots of said bar on closing of an open drawer;

relatively loose bolts extending through slots in the rear wall of saidcabinet and through said locking bar, said bolts having yieldable springwashers thereon;

the opening movement of a drawer in said cabinet being adapted to raisesaid locking bar to upper position to thereby cause said locking bar toengage the depending lugs of the remaining other closed drawers of saidcabinet against outward movement;

said spring washers being adapted to releasably hold said locking bar inupper position;

the full closing movement of the single open drawer being adapted tocause said depending lug to move downwardly said locking bar to alowered nonlocking position in which all of said drawers are openable;

and manually actuable locking means on said cabinet for selectivelylocking said bar and said drawers in closed position.

4. In a cabinet or the like having a rear slotted wall and slidabledrawers;

a self-locking means for releasably locking certain drawers of a cabinetactuable on withdrawal of one drawer thereof including a projectingangular bracket mounted on the inner end of each of said drawers, eachof said brackets having projecting upwardly a lug with a camlike edgethereon, and having a depending recessed hook thereon;

a vertical slidably mounted slotted locking bar adjacent the rear wallof said cabinet and having a plurality of verticaliy spaced slotstherein;

bolts loosely extending through the slots of said rear wall and securedin said locking bar; yieldable spring means mounted on said bolts andnormally frictionally engaging said rear wall, said recessed hooks beingadapted to engage the said slotted locking bar;

said brackets normally extending into said siots respectively when saiddrawers are in closed position, the partial withdrawal of one of saiddrawers being adapted to raise said locking bar to cause the hooks onsaid angular brackets to engage and lock the brackets of the remainingdrawers against normal withdrawal thereof;

the full closing movement of a withdrawn drawer being adapted to causethe camlike edge of its inner bracket to lower said locking bar intodrawer-unlocking position.

I! l i t

1. In a cabinet or the like having superposed slidable drawers; arearwardly projecting angular bracket mounted on the inner end of eachof said drawers, each of said brackets having a depending projecting lugand having a downwardly opening recess and having an upwardly extendingbeveled shoulder thereon; a vertical slidable locking bar having aplurality of vertically spaced slots therein; said shoulders of saidbrackets being adapted to engage the edge portion of said bar at saidslots said bar in upper unlocking position; said brackets normallyextending into said slots respectively; said depending lugs beingadapted to engage said bar upon descent thereof to lock the closeddrawers against withdrawal, the partial withdrawal of one of saiddrawers being adapted to raise and then drop said locking bar to therebyengage and lock the brackets of the remaining drawers against normalwithdrawal thereof; the closing movement of a withdrawn drawer beingadapted to cause the shoulder of its inner bracket to raise said lockingbar and then to cause said bar to drop to lock the drawer into lockedposition.
 2. A cabinet having superposed slidable drawers as recited inclaim 2 and having a manually operable rotatable lock cylinder mountedin said cabinet, and having a rotatable metal link connected to saidlock, and extending into and engaging the upper portion of said slidablelocking bar to provide for manually selectively rotating said lockcylinder to raise said locking bar into drawer unlocking position and topermit descent of said bar into drawer locking position.
 3. Incombination with a drawer-containing cabinet or the like having a backwall; an inner vertical wall mounted in said cabinet inward of said backwall and having vertically spaced slots therein; a vertical slidablelocking bar slidable mounted adjacent said inner wall and having aplurality of vertically spaced apart slots therein; a plurality ofdrawers slidably mounted above each other in said cabinet; a lug-bearinglocking bracket having thereon an upwardly extending lug and adownwardly extending hook and mounted on the inner wall of each of saiddrawers; said upwardly extending lug having an integral upwardlyextending beveled cam face, said cam-faced lug being adapted to moveinto said slots of said bar on closing of an open drawer; relativelyloose bolts extending through slots in the rear wall of said cabinet andthrough said locking bar, said bolts having yieldable spring washersthereon; the opening movement of a drawer in said cabinet being adaptedto raise said locking bar to upper position to thereby cause saidlocking bar to engage the depending lugs of the remaining other closeddrawers of said cabinet against outward movement; said spring washersbeing adapted to releasably hold said locking bar in upper position; thefull closing movement of the single open drawer being adapted to causesaid depending lug to move downwardly said locking bar to a lowerednonlocking position in which all of said drawers are openable; andManually actuable locking means on said cabinet for selectively lockingsaid bar and said drawers in closed position.
 4. In a cabinet or thelike having a rear slotted wall and slidable drawers; a self-lockingmeans for releasably locking certain drawers of a cabinet actuable onwithdrawal of one drawer thereof including a projecting angular bracketmounted on the inner end of each of said drawers, each of said bracketshaving projecting upwardly a lug with a camlike edge thereon, and havinga depending recessed hook thereon; a vertical slidably mounted slottedlocking bar adjacent the rear wall of said cabinet and having aplurality of vertically spaced slots therein; bolts loosely extendingthrough the slots of said rear wall and secured in said locking bar;yieldable spring means mounted on said bolts and normally frictionallyengaging said rear wall, said recessed hooks being adapted to engage thesaid slotted locking bar; said brackets normally extending into saidslots respectively when said drawers are in closed position, the partialwithdrawal of one of said drawers being adapted to raise said lockingbar to cause the hooks on said angular brackets to engage and lock thebrackets of the remaining drawers against normal withdrawal thereof; thefull closing movement of a withdrawn drawer being adapted to cause thecamlike edge of its inner bracket to lower said locking bar intodrawer-unlocking position.